i can stop the tears if i want to | jenlisa

03

It was meant to be a day of rest for her after flying home from yet another concert ticked off on their tour. But her manager had come through this time with a cover shoot that didn't involve pairing off with any of the other girls and it truly gave her some alone time. Well, as alone as she could be with dozens of people milling around with fancy outfits, yelling directions and generally feeling like she was in the middle of a mini war zone.

The lights were making her sweat and even she was getting a little queasy from the camera's flash because the photographer had been saying 'One more, just one more, Lisa!' for the past half an hour. By the time everything wrapped up, Lisa was sure it had been one of the longest shoots she had ever done and her mind was fried mush.

And instead of heading home where people could find her, she found the dingiest bar she could that sat at the end of a street of an equally dingy neighbourhood. The plus side being that the entire establishment consisted of a weathered bar top and only 8 rickety seats that would probably splinter apart if anyone sat on it too hard.

It's where Lisa made herself comfortable, cradling her second drink which wasn't hitting her as hard as usual. There were only two other patrons sharing the space with her on the opposite end of the bar, minding their own business in loud chatter and completely unaware that a celebrity was mere metres away. It's probably why they spoke with no filter, their topic of conversation ranging from the weather to utter filth that most young men seemed to spout. She never intended to eavesdrop, however it was unavoidable considering the size of the place and the next words made her hackles rise.

It was one thing to experience hate online that came in all forms, but to hear it in person was as confronting as it could get. The drunken slurs weren't about herself because that she could handle by throwing back a few more drinks and maybe having a good cry in bed afterwards.

No, they were about Jennie.

And it really was a small world. She had found a place that was kind of off the map, hoping to escape her life for just a little while but here they were.

The comments were lewd and downright disgusting, things she would never care to repeat. But how dare they talk garbage about one of the most beautiful people as if they knew her and try to sully her name like that. It was derogatory and what was coined typical male behaviour if she had anything to say about it. There was no hiding that they were drunk, yet it was no excuse for them to make assumptions about Jennie that were so demeaning and untrue that it made her insides boil.

Anger was something she rarely felt because it wasn't in her nature, but she could feel it raging and whispering in her ear. The taste of regret was already heavy on her tongue as she left some cash on the counter and stood up to approach the two friends. Lisa ignored the middle-aged owner's weary glance and proceeded to tap the shoulder of the closest man, waiting for him to turn.

He did so slowly; wobbling dangerously all on his own and she said nothing as she swung at his face. The slow topple down to the ground was satisfying to watch, if not comical in the way his friend uselessly tried to stop it from happening. She stood over them with curled fists for another moment before pulling her beanie further down her head and then walking out into the night.

After she made it home and fell into bed, the adrenaline had well and truly sizzled out and reality hit her. She realised she had actually punched a grown man in the face. She was lucky the pair were too intoxicated to do anything about it and the owner didn't seem to think it was worth the trouble of calling the police. She could only imagine the public having a field day if this ever made it out.

It was, without a doubt, one the most reckless and stupidest things she had ever done as an idol.

Jisoo said as much when Lisa begrudgingly told her because it wasn't something she could hide. Chaeng asked to see her bruised knuckles then called her Rocky for three days straight, but both of them gave their word that they wouldn't tell Jennie. Management were none the wiser of the scuffle that she hoped would never make it to the light of day even if it was damn worth it.